Feast your eyes on and wax nostalgic for current & discontinued Lunchables. (Which was your favorite?)
Among the unique elements that shaped the ’90s kid experience was the exciting (and somewhat notorious) world of snack foods. Standing proudly as the true culinary symbol of this decade was one item in particular: the iconic Lunchables. In terms of the fun factor, they were nearly as beloved as the foil-tray TV dinners of the previous few decades.
Yep! Lunchables, those neat compartments of processed food goodness, were the star of many a school lunch break. Kids marveled at the innovative concept — packing their own mini sandwiches or pizzas brought a sense of empowerment. Being a ’90s kid often meant looking forward to lunchtime, where the classic yellow box awaited them.
Although Lunchables still exist today, some of the variations we knew and loved from the late ’80s and ’90s have been discontinued.
Let’s take a nostalgia-filled journey back to the era of pogs, dial-up internet, and of course, those memorable Lunchables that we’ve all missed. You just may find yourself yearning for the simplicity of constructing a tiny pizza, stacking cold cuts on a cracker, or diving into that little dessert surprise that capped off the meal.
Retro 80s Lunchables TV commercial (1989)
Lunchables with pudding (1993)
Packaged lunch with lean honey ham, American cheese, crackers and Jell-o chocolate pudding.
Discontinued Lunchables for grown-ups (1993)
All new. All grown up. That’s the new Lunchables’ Brand Lunch Combinations from Oscar Mayer.
Savor Deli-Thin’ Brood sliced meats, creamy herbed cheese, and crisp crackers — even luscious mint chocolate to top it off. In four unique varieties to keep those tastebuds hopping. Lunch will never be the same.
Discontinued Lunchables with Jello cups for dessert (1995)
Lunchable with a Jell-O gelatin snack? Thanks, Mom.
1990s low-fat Lunchables (1995)
With lean meats and fat-free Jell-o desserts like chocolate pudding, wild watermelon, and strawberry gelatin snacks, the new Low Fat Lunchables is a lunch you’ll both be happy about.
ALSO SEE: Vintage pudding cups were smooth, spoonable snacks we loved, starting back in the ’70s
Friday Funday! Discontinued Lunchables Fun Pack (1995)
Oscar Mayer deli meat rounds, cheese and crackers, plus a Capri Sun Pacific Cooler, a Reese’s peanut butter cup for dessert.
DON’T MISS: 90s candy: 40+ popular and totally fly sweet treats to remember
Lunchables Lunch Combination Fun Pack – room makeover contest (1995)
From 1995: Now you get a totally tasty complete lunch, a chance to win the room of your dreams! If you’re a winner of the Nickelodeon Ultimate Room Instant Win Game, Nickelodeon will decorate your room any way you like.
Vintage make your own pizza Lunchables (1996)
Hey, now you can bag all those boring lunches. ‘Cause this new Lunchables has three real pizza crusts, pizza sauce and all the toppings. Fun to make and eat. No need to heat.
Pack contained 3 pepperoni (flavored sausage) pizzas, a Butterfinger candy bar, and a juice pack.
Lunchables Deli-Carryouts brand sandwiches (1996)
Finally, a lunch box for grown-ups. {Some assembly required.}
Try Lunchables Deli-Carryouts brand sandwiches in six delicious low fat and regular varieties. It’s everything you need to make yourself a great deli-style sandwich. Lean turkey, ham or chicken, special toppings, a soft bakery bun or bagel and a tasty side. You can’t build a better lunch.
Lunchables with Pizza Swirls (1997)
Make your own mini pizzas with these Lunchable Pizza Swirls! Made 2 pepperoni-flavored sausage pizzas and 1 dessert pizza (with frosting and m&ms candies), plus a Capri Sun drink.
Discontinued Lunchables: Taco Bell tacos and nachos lunch kits (1997)
Turn “blah, blah, blah” into “yippie ay yay”. Make fun of lunch!
The Tacos kit included Taco Bell branded beef tacos with a juice drink and a Butterfinger fun-size candy bar. The Taco Bell Nachos pack had cheese and salsa nachos, a Crunch mini candy bar, and a Capri sun drink.
ALSO SEE: Kudos granola bars: What happened to these popular kids’ snacks from the ’80s & ’90s?
Discontinued Lunchables: Toon Room Cartoon Network promo (1998)
From the late 90s: “Win your own Lunchables Toon Room from Cartoon Network. Toon Room’s include a TV/VCR combo, Scooby pillow, videos, a bean bag chair and more!”
Discontinumed Lunchables and Goosebumps books (1998)
Giveaway from 1998: “We’re looking for a few good creeps. Now inside specially marked Lunchables is a chance to win a trip to New York to help R.L. Stine himself write a Goosebumps Series 2000 book. The winner gets a haunted limo ride and a $2,000 shopping spree. You could also win a special edition R.L. Stine short story. Scary stuff!”
Discontinued Lunchables: Hey Arnold and Nickelodeon contest (1998)
From the late 90s: “Look inside specially marked Lunchables to win a chance to host the nickelOzone. Just collect all four game pieces to spell Z.O.N.E. and win one of three trips to Nickelodeon Studios in Orlando.”
Discontinued Lunchables burgers & hot dogs TV commercial (1998)
Lunchables All-Star Burgers for when you need an All-Star lunch.
Breakfast Lunchables – Pancakes or waffles… plus dessert (1999)
According to a review in the syndicated “Supermarket Sampler” column back in 1999, these morning kits for kids ended up providing about half a cup of sugar.
Vintage Pokemon trading cards on Lunchables box (1999)
Nintendo Pokemon collectible cards from the 90s included Bulbasaur – Pidgeotto – Pikachu – Jigglypuff – Venomoth – Onix – Cubone – Kangaskhan – Horsea – Electabuzz – Articuono – MewTwo
Lunchables and Doug cartoon promo (1999)
Turn Saturday morning upside down with Lunchables. With your Toon-Twister you can un-twist Disney’s Doug, Recess, and Pepper Ann. So look for specially marked Lunchables Fun Packs and give Disney’s One Saturday Morning a spin.
Making Lunchables in 1989 – Factory food in Fortune magazine
Take a peek at the factory where Lunchables were made! Those crackers were stacked into the little white plastic trays by hand.
Vintage & discontinued Lunchables varieties
Here are a couple dozen lunch kit combinations that existed at one time or another, and some of which are still available today.
In some cases, the names stayed the same over the years, but with some changes to the box contents — particularly in relation to the drinks and desserts included. (See all the current versions on the Kraft site here.)
Beef Taco Wraps
Bologna & Cheese
Chicken Dunks
Chicken Strips
Extra Cheesy Pizza
Fun Fuel Chicken Wraps
Grilled Chicken Wrap
Ham & Cheese
Mini Burgers
Mini Hot Dogs
Mini Tacos
Nachos
Nachos, Cheese Dip & Salsa
Pancakes
Pizza and Treatzza (originally Pizza Swirls)
Pizza Dunks
Pizza With Pepperoni
Turkey & Cheese
Waffles
Maxed Out (originally Mega Packs)
Chicken Strips
Deep Dish Pepperoni Pizza
Double Stacked Tacos
Pizza Stix
Turkey & Cheddar Cracker Combo
Ultimate Nachos
NOW SEE THIS: Old potato chip brands: 50+ long-lost and popular chip & potato snack brands you may remember
